upend

[uhp-end]

See more synonyms for upend on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to set on end, as a barrel or ship.
to affect drastically or radically, as tastes, opinions, reputations, or systems.
to defeat in competition, as in boxing or business.

verb (used without object)

to become upended.
to place the body back-end up, as a dabbling duck.

Origin of upend

First recorded in 1815–25; up- + end¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for upend

dethrone, oust, topple, subdue, depose, eradicate, abolish, crush, subvert, conquer, overcome, unseat, overturn, raze, overrun, vanquish, invalidate, annul, capsize, reverse

Examples from the Web for upend

Contemporary Examples of upend

It is a revolutionary story, which threatens to upend the world as we know it.
Jesus Wasn’t Born Rich. Think About It.
Gene Robinson
December 25, 2014
It would inject a threat of accountability into power, and upend the impunity wartime leaders had operated under for years.
The Man Who Invented the Word ‘Genocide’
Nina Strochlic
November 19, 2014
In August, Sen. Ted Cruz linked the need to upend the IRS to its abuse of power.
Huckabee: ‘A Tax Is Punishment’
Lloyd Green
September 29, 2014
[S]omething larger is going on here, which could upend everything and produce unintended consequences.
There Are No “True” Independent Voters in American Politics
Jamelle Bouie
December 3, 2013
The one event that could upend that is an encore from a passive, disengaged Obama.
Robert Shrum on the Vice Presidential Debate: Biden’s Win Was a Big F@$&ing Deal
Robert Shrum
October 12, 2012

Historical Examples of upend

The log plunges after him, holding him down and back till he drowns; and his whereabouts are revealed by the upend of the tree.
The Story of the Trapper
A. C. Laut
It is safe, as we will never meet again, and all ideas of justice will upend in the coming cataclysm.
The Sequel
George A. Taylor

British Dictionary definitions for upend

upend

verb

to turn or set or become turned or set on end
(tr) to affect or upset drastically

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for upend

1823, from up + end. Related: Upended; upending.